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Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall – I Will Be There!

Yesterday KD provided a great blog about the relationship with David and Jonathan while further reflecting on relationships and friendships generally. It is worth a read.

At the core of the relationship between David and Jonathan was a covenant involving promises of mutual protection. They were truly committed to looking out for one another. Jonathan acknowledged that David would succeed his father as King, and pledged to David his allegiance (vv 13-16). Jonathan would do what he could to protect David, who would likewise look after Jonathan and his offspring.

This arrangement depended completely on the covenant relationship with its fierce loyalty (vs 30-34). Such loyalty may seem strange to us today but it should not. The Bible constantly teaches that we should be committed to our fellow human beings so that everyone, not just those who look and sound like us, can enjoy security and peace. A Christian application of covenant relationships will consider, for example, not just the effects of greed and materialism on our families and friends, but our broader commitment to society and the world at large.

For example, think about how the Apostle Paul’s concern and love for his brothers and sisters at Thessalonica (1 Thess 3:1-13) turned into prayers for them. Think about how they longed to see Paul and how he longed to see them. Such loyalty, such friendship and such love for each other.

As our own culture moves further and further away from its heritage we are going to need each other more and more. Jonathan and David knew and felt that strongly (1 Samuel 20:42). Paul and Timothy also modelled what a powerful relationship can look like.

Maybe a test of our friendship with others is to ask, how do we pray for those we are in fellowship with? Do we intercede fo them? Do we let them know that we are interceding for them? Do we pray that they may be strengthened? Do we pray that our love for them and their love for us grows stronger?

One thought on “Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall – I Will Be There!”

thank you Ian. I think that for a vast majority Christian men today -and there are exceptions- because of how we have allowed to world to shape us, are afraid of this “brotherhood of loving another man”. To the point of that this friendship between Jonathon and David some twist the Bible and say it was a homosexual relationship. Lies, lies lies. The world has sexualised just about everything including relationships. I think that this is an identity issue. If a person knows who they are in Christ this will not be a stumbling block for them. It also shows us how important it is to know how much we are loved by Jesus – perhaps a little easier for a woman to express than a man. All we have is some great men from our Bible who experienced this for themselves including Jesus who loved John. Even though He loved the others there was a special bond between these two.
Another thing to be mindful of is the songs that express our love to Jesus. There has been a big shift over the last 200 years or so that has seen many songs take upon a very feminine slant. This can be uncomfortable for the male to sing along with. Sometimes I think that’s why there are more women in most churches than men. Robin Mark along with others has some great worship that is suited to the men who go to church as well as the women. REVIVAL IN BELFAST has some great praise songs that have a masculine feel about them. Time stops me for thinking of any more. Something for our worship team to be prayerfully aware of.